Melbourne musician Dean Luke is back with a new single, 'Easy', a track that blends indie folk with a raw, introspective lyricism.
The follow-up release to his 2024 debut single, 'What Do I Know?', Luke continues to explore themes of struggle, resilience, and self-discovery. However, while his first release stemmed from a deeply personal depressive episode, 'Easy' comes from a broader reflection on post-pandemic life and personal upheaval."It wasn't really born out of a specific cathartic moment like 'What Do I Know?'," Luke explains. "That one came from a six-month depressive episode, but 'Easy' was a combination of things.
"I wrote it in the aftermath of COVID when the worst had passed, but we still couldn't do all the things we wanted. Then, all these post-COVID problems started kicking in – rent was going up, food prices were rising, and suddenly, the term 'cost of living crisis' was being used all the time. Life got harder."
This broader societal struggle coincided with Luke's personal journey of healing after a breakup. "I was getting back on my feet, finding myself again, but still feeling a bit lost," he reflects, "and at the same time, everything else in the world felt like it was making life harder. That's why I called it 'Easy' – because it doesn't make sense. I should have called it 'Not Easy'."
The irony of the title is reinforced by one of the song's standout lines: 'Darling, if it was easy, then almost everyone would be doing it.' "I like that saying," Luke says.
"If relationships were easy, everyone would have perfect ones, and no one would break-up, but love is hard, loss is hard, life is hard. That lyric was just something I told myself to get through it – like a reminder that struggling is part of the human experience."
Musically, 'Easy' showcases Luke's admiration for classic folk and alt. country. "I was listening to a lot of old country and folk – Jeff Tweedy, Lucinda Williams, Townes Van Zandt," he notes.
"Strangely enough, I was actually coming out of a Blaze Foley binge. The funny thing is, 'Easy' sounds nothing like Blaze Foley, and I don't think I sound anything like him, but there's a raw honesty in his music that really inspired me."
Luke describes the songwriting process for 'Easy' as almost effortless. "It kind of fell out," he says. "I picked up my guitar, hit a few chords, and started scat singing – where you just mumble melodies that sound like words until they become words. It happened really quickly, like I tapped into something bigger than me. It's one of those moments where you don't feel like you wrote the song – you were just the vessel."
Dean's attraction to folk and alt. country stems from their unfiltered emotion. "I like the rawness, the honesty," he says.
"I don't always love the term 'country' because people immediately think of Top 40 country, which isn't really my thing. That's why I say alt. country or indie folk – people get it better. If you say alt. country, they think of Lucinda Williams or Townes Van Zandt, not stadium pop country."
Lyrically, 'Easy' touches on themes of disconnection and crisis. One of the song's key lines: 'Your reflection's looking much less like you,' encapsulates that feeling.
"That was about looking in the mirror after a tough time and feeling like you don't recognise yourself," Luke explains. "Hard times can age you – not just physically, but emotionally. You look at yourself and think, 'I don't know who that is anymore'."
For Luke, songwriting is both a personal therapy and a way to connect with others. "It probably started as something therapeutic, and it still is," he admits, "but I've realised more and more how much music connects me to people. I'm an introvert – I don't love being the loudest person in the room or staying out until 2am in a bar, but music lets me connect in a way that feels right for me."
While many songwriters find clarity in their lyrics, Luke sometimes discovers hidden meanings in his own songs after the fact. "I'll write something thinking it's about one thing, then months later, I'll realise it was way more personal than I thought. It happens all the time – I look back and go, 'Oh, that was about me more than I realised'."
As for his plans moving forward, Luke is opting for a slow, steady release strategy. "I'm not planning an album just yet," he admits. "Not because I don't want to, but because at this point in my career, it makes more sense to release singles.
"If I put out an album now, I'd have a big push for a few months, then be left saying, 'Hey, remember that album?' for the next year. Instead, I'd rather put out a song every couple of months and keep building momentum."
It also means he doesn't have to stay true to one sound, or try to release one cohesive body of work. "I naturally write in two styles – dream-pop, indie-rock stuff like 'What Do I Know?' and the alt. country, indie folk stuff like 'Easy'. I plan to keep going back and forth between them and just completely confuse the Spotify algorithm."
With a steady stream of singles on the horizon and a knack for blending folk storytelling with contemporary indie textures, Dean Luke is carving out a space for himself in Australia's indie music scene; and for now, he’s content letting the songs lead the way.
